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Died. Edward Albert Filene, 77, millionaire Boston merchant and amateur economist; of lobar pneumonia; in Paris, France. From a small beginning, Merchant Filene built his ready-to-wear specialty shop, William Filene's Sons Co., into a potent Boston firm. There he tried to put his philanthropic ideology into effect by organizing a business democracy, giving his employes representation on the board of directors. He was disappointed when he found they used their power chiefly to ask for minor privileges, did not seem interested in assuming control of the business. Thereafter Merchant Filene gradually resigned the management of his store to others, in order to devote himself to the public propagation of his ideals. Among these were: the 20th Century Fund which he founded in 1919 for economic research; the International Chamber of Commerce; the U. S. Chamber of Commerce (from which he completely withdrew in 1936 when he thought the Chamber had become a reactionary businessmen's club); the re-election of Franklin Roosevelt; co-operative credit associations. In 1936 his remarks at the biennial congress of the Cooperative League of the U. S., were interpreted by some listeners as a final severance with the existing profit system. Later he denied this, said he believed private business would be helped, not hurt by consumer cooperation.